1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a shuttle scanner and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for compensating for image distortion of a shuttle scanner in which a scanned reference pattern is used to correct inter-block distortion caused by the magnification error of a scanner module.
2. Related Art
Recently, multi-tasking systems that combine the various functions of a printer, a facsimile machine, a copy machine, a scanner, etc., have been developed. In combining scanner functions with those of a printer, a shuttle-type scanner using a shuttle scanner module is typically employed. The shuttle scanner module travels across a sheet of paper together with the ink cartridge, using the same driving system as that of the print head module, and the paper is fed using a line feed motor (stepper motor). A shuttle scanner, however, has its own unique set of problems in performing a scanning operation.
For example, in scanning an object using a shuttle scanner module, the scanned object is divided into shuttle blocks. In that process, inter-block image distortion can occur, whereby duplicate image portions are scanned into adjacent blocks and are then overlapped, or whereby a gap occurs between adjacent block. This problem results from magnification error which, in turn, results from assembly tolerance errors occurring during the scanner assembly or manufacturing process.
Therefore, there is a need for the development of a method and apparatus for correcting image distortion occurring between adjacent image blocks caused by shuttle scanning involving division of a scanned object into a number of blocks.